Launched on a subscription streaming service, WandaVision is a series that doesn’t have to have commercials… but it does. Structured as a four camera sitcom for a reason that isn’t exactly clear, the show begins by recreating the old experience of watching television, and that means including era-appropriate advertisements. That being said, this is still the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so it should be of a surprise to absolutely nobody that the spots that air in the middle of the first two episodes sport some cool references and Easter eggs.
We expect that the commercials will continue throughout the full nine-episode run of WandaVision, and we’ll continue to report on them as they roll out, but for now there are specifically three things in the first couple of ads that are worthy of highlighting, and we’ll begin with that beeping toaster.
Stark Industries’ Product Line Includes Toasters Alongside Its Advanced Technology-Driven Body Armor
We’ve known about the capitalist ventures of Howard Stark ever since the early days of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the commercial in the first episode of WandaVision sheds some funny light on his product line. While the industrialist is best known for his work in weapons development, Stark Industries apparently kept things interesting in their product line way back when (assuming that the ad is “canon”), and that included releasing a line of toasters – specifically the ToastMate 2000 – with some seriously misogynistic marketing.
What makes this spot’s inclusion in the show particularly interesting is the dark history that exists between Wanda Maximoff and the name “Stark.” As first shown in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Wanda and her brother, Pietro, had a rather traumatic experience as a result of Stark Industries technology when they were growing up in Sokovia (one could see the slow beep of the toaster and strange red light be reminiscent of the Stark warhead that never exploded), and she didn’t exactly love how Tony treated her during the events that play out in Captain America: Civil War. In a way, the presence of a Stark Industries ad on the show has sinister overtones.
Did Wolfgang von Strucker Come From A Family Of Watchmakers?
Speaking of sinister, “Strucker” is another name that has some really negative connotations with Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it’s strange to see his name in a fancy watch commercial. It’s hard to say if this is directly suggesting that the lineage of Wolfgang von Strucker was perhaps a family of watchmakers (again, we don’t know how “canon” these commercials are), but you also can’t help but notice the Hydra logo in the middle of the clock face.
Part of WandaVision’s second episode, where things get increasingly freaky in the sitcom world, the name Strucker in the context of Wanda immediately brings to mind that he was the one who was technically responsible for giving her powers. Under his command, Hydra used the Mind Stone to perform experiments on Sokovian citizens, and Wanda and Pietro were the only two to survive. Given this association, is Wolfgang von Strucker’s “presence” a looming portent of trouble? (As though the show doesn’t have enough of those). Not only is the choice of commercial interesting on a base level, but it becomes even more fascinating when you consider the details…
The Watch Being Set At 2:42 Is A Very Interesting Choice
This entry of this feature is far more speculative than the other two, but if it pans out it could be absolutely massive. Looking at the screenshot above, you may notice that something doesn’t look quite right about the face of the timepiece. It’s traditional that when watches are being displayed that they show the time 10:10, as in that position both the hour and minute hands are fully displayed and posed at an aesthetically pleasing angle. So why is this Strucker watch set to 2:42? It’s true that you do still get to clearly see both hands in the position, but the numbers themselves may reveal a huge Easter egg.
If you were to consult a backlog of single issues or the catalog on Marvel Unlimited, you’d discover that Avengers #242 is a hugely consequential issue that has both Vision and Scarlet Witch at its center. In the story, the android becomes fully functional again after sustaining extreme damage in a prior arc, and both of the heroes rejoin Earth’s Mightiest Heroes… but the latter is not for positive reasons. Vision announces that he has become aware of the coming of an incredibly powerful being that poses a terrible threat – and it turns out that said being is The Beyonder, whose arrival marks the start of Secret Wars, which was the first Marvel Comics crossover event. Could this be a sign of where the Marvel Cinematic Universe is going in the near future as a means of creating something even bigger than the Infinity Saga? Time will tell!
Did you notice any other strange details in the WandaVision commercials? Hit the comments section with the cool things you spotted, and tell us what you think about our analysis here. Also be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend, as we have plenty more coverage of the debut Marvel Disney+ series coming your way very soon, and be on the lookout for new episodes launching weekly on Fridays at midnight PST/3am EST.
